D2o—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 28,1983 BY HERB JORDAN Penn State Poultry Specialist UNIVERSITY PARK - The number of head of poultry on Pennsylvania farms has quadrupled over the past 17 years. At the same tune the price of commercial fertilizer has more than tripled. Consequently, poultry farmers are using more manure and more often, along with too much or too little commerical fertilizer on each acre. This has resulted in some problems which will be discussed here. Average values of plant nutrient composition from laboratory tests indicate poultry manure is relatively high in nutrients. For example fresh poultry manure contains on the average 30-20-10 pounds of N-PjOj-KjO per ton. While dry poultry manure may contain 90-70-40 pounds of N-P^) s or more. The plant nutrient content of poultry manure vanes widely, however, because of variation in poultry ration, age and produc tivity of the animal, moisture content of manure and time in storage which causes wide variation in microbial activity. This can cause significant changes in the plant nutrient content of the manure. Unidentified factors in poultry manure, allowed to remain warm and wet for 28 days or longer in storage, can cause plant toxicity when applied to cropland. Drying Manure More poultry manure is being dried and stored m cage houses today than ever before. This is done by controlling leaks in waterers, diverting outside sur face water, stirring the manure and drying it with fans. This Hade’s Equipment Sales & Service 10355 Five Forks Rd. Waynesboro. PA 17268"' ~ 717-762-4985 Poultry manure use guidelines given reduces the weight of manure hauled to the field three- to sixfold as well as making the material more spreadable. This process also lowers ammonia fumes m the house which seems to improve bird health, growth rate, egg produc tion, fertility, hatchabihty, and eggshell quality. Drying fresh manure before storage holds its real value. It is recommended thdt all poultry farms have a minimum of 2-3 acres cropland usable for manure disposal per 1,000 head of poultry capacity on the farm. Five acres per 1,000 head capacity is better. Useful acreage is in terpreted by most farmers as being less than one mile from the barn or poultry house. Nearly all manure is spread in this area or even a smaller area. These guidelines result in fairly low application rates per acre. A serious problem results in that it is nearly impossible to purchase a manure spreader in Pennsylvania that will apply one to three tons (dry matter) of poultry manure per acre as recommended. Most spreaders will spread 4-6 tons (dry matter) per acre at the minimum setting. Some spreaders have little or no control of how much manure is applied except for speed of spreading. Driving a tractor and spreader too fast is dangerous. Soils receiving applications ot poultry manure should be tested regularly to determine build-ups of plant nutrient levels m soils. Excessive applications can cause nutrient imbalance and increase the soluble salt levels in soils of over BO cities fly to youi choice ol 10 cities in Amsterdam, in continental U.S. or Canada* Mexico, Bermuda or the Caribbean* Rome, Madrid, Zurich, Frankfurt and gel $4OO in travel cash and get $BOO in travel cash or Hawaii* and get $1,500 in from Case on your purchase of a from Case on your purchase ol travel cash from Case on your new Case 1190 1290 1390 1490 a new Case 2090 2290 23900 r purchase of a new Case 4490 or 1690 tractor 2590 tractor 4690 or 4890 tractor In addition, take Option #1 Your choice of Case 8.8% A.P.R. financing for up to 48 months Or take Option #2 No finance charges until May 1,1984. Or take Option #3 A special cash option, in lieu of financing Options #1 and #2, on your new Case tractor purchase. (Cash options shown by model in table.) 1 For 8.8% A.P.R. finance charges or waiver-of-finance charges on new tractors, pur chase must be financed through J I Case Credit Corpo ration. Offers apply from date of purchase. ELIGIBLE MODEL CASH OPTION $ 650 $ 750 $ 900 $l4OO $l6OO $l9OO 1190 1290 1390 1490 1690 STOUFFER BROS. INC. 1066 Lincoln Way West Chambersburf. PA (717)263-8424 BINKLEY & HURST BROS. 133 Rothsville Station Rd Lititz. PA (717) 626-4705 E.W.BIIEWICZ EQUIP. INC. ZIMMERMAN’S FARM SERVICE PEOPLES SALES & SERVICE Elmer Rd., Richwood. NJ (609)881-2692 TestJivi. ELIGIBLE MODEL CASH OPTION $2lOO $2500 2390 2590 $2700 4490 $3200 4890 $4700 See us now for full details, CASE POWER & EQUIP. Montcomeryvtlle. PA (215)699-5871 Newcastle. DE (302)652-3028 C.&P. FULTZ EQUIP. RD 1, Sprint Mills, PA (814)422-8805 Bethel. PA (717)933-4114 thereby causing crop yields to decrease. This soluble salt problem may be greatest im mediately after spreading. Ex cessive applications can also lead to surface and ground water pollution problems. Soil testing is a useful monitoring tool and when ♦ We a Iso Specialize in Beef ♦ For Your Freezer, Sides of Pork, f Sides of Beef. ♦ Freezer Lockers Now Available :x See us ■ i) now! I I Offers expire June 30,1983 \ \ one of our new (arm tractors -.—. / get round trip tickets ) for two, plus cash i/T —for your tnp —n >* • A. L KERR t BRO. ■■■■■ 312 Park Ave | I Quarryville,PA I nil rl (717)786-3521 C. II WALTZ SONS. INC. RDI, Cocan Station. PA (717) 435-2921 Oakland Mills. PA (717)463-2735 used in conjunction with manure analyses can provide guidance in determining appropriate agronomic and environmentally sound application rates. Soil and manure analysis can be obtained Attention Beef & Perk Raisers CUSTOM BUTCHERING HESS’ BUTCHER SHOP 2635 Willow Street Pike r Willow Street, PA 717-464-3374 We Process the Old Fashioned Way • Pudding • Hams • Bologna • Scrapple • Bacons • Dry Beef ■ Destinations and points ol origin are limit ed to eligible locations Travel Certificates for two (2) will be issued within 45 days ol tractor purchase Certificates must be re deemed for airline tickets by December 3) 1983 and cannot be redeemed for cash Travel must be completed prior to March 1 1984 Travel dates are subject to availability Government Agencies Departments do not quality Otter void where prohibited by law All otters valid now thru June 30 1983 (Turn to Page Oil) 4& PAUL SHOVER’S, INC. 35 East Willow St Carlisle. PA (717)243-2686 Loysville, Pa (717)789-3117